Vending-machine.



PATENTED DEC. 12, 1905.

A T HALLOGK VENDING MACHINE. APFLIGATION FILED IEB.18,1905.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR T. HALLOGK, OF GANANDAIGUA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNEASSIGNMENTS, TO CHAS. B. KNOX, OF J OHNSTOVVN, NEW

YORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

VENDING-MACHINE.

Patented Dec. 12, 1905.

Application filed ary 18, 1905. Serial No. 246,280.

which the following is a specification, reference being had therein tothe accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to a vending apparatus, and particularly to amachine adapted for the delivery of articles by the introduction of acoin or other cheek to render the same operative.

The invention has for an object to provide an improved construction andarrangement of the delivery apron or belt provided with a series ofpockets or receptacles thereon disposed beneath an original packagecarrying the articles to be delivered, whereby said articles will beautomatically received in the pockets and delivered by the apron.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved constructionof cross-bars upon said apron in order to facilitate the introduction ofan article into the pocket and prevent injury to those above the bar.

Another object of the invention is to arrange these bars in suchrelative position that a difierent number of articles may be deliveredfrom the apron at predetermined times in its travel.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will behereinafter set forth and the novel features thereof defined by theappended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is aside elevation of the apparatus; Fig. 2, acentral longitudinal section thereof; Fig. 3, a detail en larged sectionof the belt or apron, andFig. 4c a detail perspective view of one of thecrossbars.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures ofthe drawings.

The letter A designates the frame or supporting-casing of the operativeparts of the machine, which may be of any desired size, construction, orconfiguration. This is preferably provided at its front portion with adelivery-trough A, in which the articles are discharged from the belt orapron B, as this apron passes over its driving-roll B at the front ofthe machine. At the opposite end of the belt a carrier-roll B isprovided, and beneath the upper surface of the belt a supporting-table Bis disposed to prevent sagging of the belt and to hold the cross-bars Bthereofv against vertical movement in their passage beneath the top ofthe apparatus.

For the purpose of preventing slipping of the belt or apron, andconsequently producing an irregular feed, the driving-roll B is providedwith pins or projections B extending therefrom, which engage withsockets B carried by the belt and inserted beneath and seated into thecross-bars B*. These sockets are preferably disposed at the mid-width ofthe frame is provided with a fixed portion A having an inclined orhopper portion Aatits inner edge and provided with a supportingshoulderA upon which the side wall of the box rests. At the opposite side of thebox a similar top portion A is slidably mounted, so as to be adjusted tofit boxes of different sizes, and is likewise provided with a hopperportion A and shoulder A while it is adapted to be adjusted and held inits proper position by any desired meansfor instance, a set-screw A Thecross bar B is preferably tapered downwardly toward its opposite ends,as shown at B Fig. 4, thus presenting a downwardly-inclined face uponeach side of the bar, which facilitates the introduction of the articleinto the pocket between the bars, particularly in the case of 'cigars,and also prevents violent contact with and injury to a layer of cigarsresting upon these cross-bars. This construction and arrangement of thecross-bars has been found of particular importance in the vending ofcigars, as in the ordinary construction of bar having an angular edgethroughout its length this edge contacts with the wrapper of the cigarsabove and frequently breaks and injures the same for instance, when thelarge end of a cigar lies over the smaller end of another cigar beneathit.

It is customary in selling certain articles, such as cigars, to offer aninducement of an extra article if a predetermined number ispurchased--for instance, in the case of a fivecent article six are soldfor twenty-five cents. In order to accomplish this function, thecrossbars B at certain intervalsfor instance, every fifth and sixth barmay be cut away upon their corresponding walls sufficiently to provide apocket or receptacle capable of receiving two articles or cigars,whereby the four succeeding pockets will each deliver one cigar and thefifth pocket delivers two, thus providing for the delivery of six cigarsupon the introduction of five five-cent pieces. It is obvious thatthisnumber may be varied to any desired extent to secure the proper deliveryfor the coin to be introduced.

It will be obvious that in the operation of the machine two cigars maybe delivered upon the introduction of the first or second coins, andthis is an attraction to the purchaser; but in the successive operationof the machine the total delivery upon the successive introduction offive coins is always the same.

It will be obvious that any desired means may be used for driving thisbelt, one form of which is shown in my application filed of even dateherewith and constitutes a coin-controlled apparatus. This form isherein illustrated and comprises a coin wheel or drum 0', applied to theshaft C of the drivingroller. This coin-wheel is provided withradially-disposed slots C into which the coin passes from a chute E,which is bifurcated at its lower end, so that the delivery-arm E thereoflies directly over a slot D formed in a guard-plate D carried by agear-wheel D. The discharge-arm E of this chute is in direct alinementwith the portion E, and a detector-magnet E is provided at the junctureof the arms. The gear-wheel is provided'with a dog or finger D, adaptedto contact with a coin disposed in the slot of the coin-wheel, and thusrotate this wheel and the shaft of the driving-roller as the gear isrotated. The rotation of this gear is efiected by means of a rack-bar D,provided with a suitable operating-handle at the front of the machine,and

is mounted upon bearing-gears D, carried by keepers D. The travel ofthis rack-bar is limited in opposite directions by means of stops Dcarried upon the frame, which engage a pin D at the end of the bar. Forthe purpose of retracting the bar a tension-spring D extends from thispin to a fixed point D upon the frame. Beneath the coin wheel a suitablecoin-delivery chute A may be provided.

In the operation of the machine it will be seen that each reciprocationof the rack-bar provides an intermittent motion to the driving-rollerfor the belt or apron, so as to present one of the pockets to thedischarge-trough and to discharge the article therefrom. This continuedintermittent movement is dependent upon the introduction of a coin, andin the form of the invention where a greater number of articles isdelivered at one of these movements the travel of the belt is notvaried, but the capacity of the pocket increased to receive theadditional article. By the construction and arrangement of the flexiblecanvas belt extending entirely beneath the area of the opening throughwhich the articles are re ceived and provided with the cross-barsforming a series of pockets continuously presented beneath this openingit will be seen that articles may be directly and automatically takenfrom the original package and separately delivered without danger ofinjury and with a simplicity of construction which obviates acomplicated mechanical structure liable to being disarranged in theoperation to which such machines are often subjected.

It will be obvious that changes may be made in the details ofconstruction and configuration without departing from the spirit of theinvention as defined by the appended claims.

Having described my invention and set forth its merits, what I claim,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a vending-machine, an endless deliv- 4 ery-belt, a driving-rollertherefor, and crossbars to form pockets upon said belt downwardlytapered toward each side at their opposite ends and provided with aplane supporting portion intermediate of said ends.

2. In a vending-machine, an endless delivery-belt, adriving-roller,cross-bars upon said belt disposed to form a series of pockets extendingtransversely of the belt, sockets disposed in said belt beneath each ofsaid bars at their mid-length, and radial projections carried by thedrivingroller to engage said sockets.

3. In a vending apparatus, a delivery-belt provided with adjacentcross-bars reduced in diameter relative to other bars upon the belt toform pockets thereon of difierent capacitiels, and means forintermittently moving said be t.

4. In a vending-machine, a frame. a top portion comprising fixed andmovable sections, a shoulder upon said sections to receive a packagecontaining articles to be delivered. and a hopper portion extendingdownward from said shoulder.

5. In a vending-machine, a frame, a top portion comprising fixed andmovable sections, a shoulder upon said sections to receive a packagecontaining articles to be delivered, a hopper portionextending downwardfrom said shoulder, an endless carrier provided with a series of pocketsupon its surface adapted to travel beneath said hopper, and means 011imparting an intermittent motion to said In testimony whereof I afiix mysignature in presence of two witnesses.

ARTHUR T. HALLOCK.

Witnesses:

ALFRED T. GAGE, JOHN E. LANSDALE.

